This is Home
by Hornswaggler
Summary: Rather long one-shot set to Switchfoot's song, This is Home. Is there more to the alias 'Phantom' than Danny lets on?


**Author's Note:**

**Hey all, Waggy here. Alright, I apologize for this in advance…It probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and there are probably gaping plot holes and inconsistencies everywhere. It's very long, kinda rambling…but I want to post it. =3**

**I just thought this is an interesting concept; what if Danny Phantom is more than just a different appearance? If you've noticed, every time Danny changes into Phantom, he's far more confident, even to the point of cockiness. I just think it might go a bit further than a 'secret identity'. Personally, I like Phantom a bit better than Fenton. X3**

**This is (randomly) set to a song that I thought fit the show extremely well. The lyrics are in there, but I'd really suggest listening to it. It's a wonderful song. =3 Look up This is Home, by Switchfoot. Anyway, sorry for the randomness…Hope it's not a total random fail!

* * *

**

_I've got my memories  
They're always inside of me_

Looking at them, one couldn't really tell there was anything different. Danny Fenton, Sam Mason, and Tucker Foley; one of the many 'cliques' at Casper High. They were the few that didn't really fit into any other category well, and the only ones who didn't really care. Sam was laughing at some random, probably idiotic joke Tucker had made and the other boy seemed triumphant that he had managed to find _something _the goth girl found funny. They were normal enough…for the moment. Sure, Sam had her whole 'ultra-recyclo-vegetarian' thing, and Tucker was utterly obsessed with anything electronic or any food that came from an animal, but hey, everyone was a bit strange. This trio was no exception; they were nothing alike, really. Many questioned how it was they could be friends, and honestly, none of them could really answer. Somehow, they had become inseparable. Sam put up with the boys' ranting about video games, and they got through her activist's speeches with weary grins. They did nearly everything together, as was common with best friends; after school outings, excursions to any house that _wasn't _theirs, attempted group projects…that, as well as a few other activities.

_But I can't go back  
Back to how it was_

It had been like that since, as Tucker put it, 'forever ago'. True, Sam hadn't been such a key part of the group until about seventh grade, but they forgave that slight infirmity. They always did everything together, shared anything that could possibly be shared, and the bond only grew stronger over the years. It had been, of course, freshmen year that really sealed everything. Though their friendship had grown all the stronger through it, almost everything else had changed. There were no more 'normal days' anymore, and almost half of what they told anyone was bound to be a lie. Honestly, the three had been fairly decent kids before; typical teenagers really. It was odd then, that everything now was secretive. Lies were common and excuses came every other sentence. Sam and Tucker were always covering for some absence, some unexplained injury or exhaustion…though it was rarely for them. The tables had been turned since they were younger; rather than trying to subdue Sam's paranoid parents, everything was centered on keeping Danny as far out of the spotlight as they could.

_I believe it now  
I've seen too much_

It had always annoyed the trio how little tact ghosts had. They didn't seem to allow more than a day for anything resembling normal teenage activities. Today, of course, was no exception. Danny halted suddenly, going rigid as he always did when the light blue mist escaped from his mouth. As his friends paused a few steps ahead to glance back, the boy instantly lowered his bag to the ground, blue eyes narrowing as he turned to search the sky above them.

"Really?" Tucker muttered with a slight sigh. He retreated to the nearby wall, leaning against it nonchalantly as he watched his friend. "If this is that stupid guy with the boxes again, make sure you crush him good, alright? We need to get that project done tonight." Danny shot him a slight grin before returning his gaze to the building tops. With a frown, he suddenly stiffened, automatically dropping into the stance that they all knew so well. The halo of light suddenly appeared around the boy's waist, instantly splitting and traveling over the hybrid's body quickly. All of his previous laugh had vanished from Danny's face as he transformed. Though he denied it anytime it was brought up, Sam and Tucker could tell that there was a little more than difference in appearance when it came to fights. Danny Fenton was, to be honest, always a bit of a coward. He was the kid that was always picked on just because it was so easy to do so. During any serious ghost encounters, however, Phantom emerged, and it was something completely different. Phantom would never willingly back down from a fight unless he knew for a fact it was one he couldn't win. He was confident, serious, and occasionally a little cocky. For a while, Fenton had clung to his hesitance and uncertainties. Though he would never admit it, he had been wary that if he allowed Phantom to come through in fights, he may also show up when Danny was human. He was forced to let the ghost through, however; there had just been too many fights, too many ghosts, and far too many injuries to hold back. It was Phantom that his two best friends saw as he took off, glowing green eyes now able to scan the rooftops. Even though it was still Danny, it was a different one from the boy they knew so well. He would never readily admit it, but there was more to the alias of Danny Phantom than he let on. Phantom wasn't just a different appearance and powers that steadily got more powerful; he was almost a different person entirely. Fenton managed to show up some in his concern for his friends and hesitance to fight when there were civilians around, but it was almost difficult at points. He was forced to let go of all of the uncertainty that was so prominent normally. He had just seen too much, and if there was any hesitance in letting Phantom through, things were able to go south very quickly.

_And I can't go back  
Back to how it was  
Created for a place I've never known_

"Great…him again." Green eyes narrowed further as a hulking, metallic figure suddenly appeared a few feet away. The usual grin was on Skulker's face, though Danny could see a small amount of uncertainty flash across it as he spotted his challenger.

"You again, whelp?" the ghost growled, one hand instinctively going to one of the many weapons on his belt. "I thought you were always in that school by now…"

"Yeah well, early releases are wonderful things," Danny told him with a slight smirk. "So much easier to beat you when I don't have to go back to class afterwards. Now, will it do much good to tell you to leave?"

"Not likely. I've got plans tonight, and you'll only get in the way. Although I wasn't planning on hunting you today, if you're so eager to be slain, I won't complain." The hunter pulled out a large gun, the barrel already glowing a faint green. "Now, ghost child, I hope you're ready to be caged." The hybrid rolled his eyes, arms folding.

"Right, let's get a few things straight here; we've been going at this for what, three years? I think a first-name basis has been established. Now, you're Skulker," He gestured at him vaguely. "My name's Danny. If you insist on being formal, Phantom will be fine." The halfa easily dodged a sudden green blast, eyebrow rising. "Well, fine, go with Phantom. I'm all for either." He sped forward suddenly, hands now glowing their customary green. A brief look of shock passed over the other ghost's face at the suddenness of the attack and it turned into a snarl as Danny plowed into his chest, sending Skulker flying a good twenty feet through the air. It was always strange seeing someone stop in midair, especially with those who were as comfortable floating as they were standing. The hunter skidded to a stop somehow, crouched down as if he were on solid ground. His eyes narrowed, glancing down at the gun that now spiraled toward a distant roof.

"You seem to have been…practicing," Skulker muttered, straightening. "No matter. That just makes it all the more entertaining." He tapped a button on one wrist, releasing yet another plasma gun. His opponent winced slightly, holding one shoulder as he tried to convince it to stop throbbing. Granted, if he had hit something that hard before all of this, it probably would have cracked a few bones. Maybe he could just dodge until Skulker wasted all of his ammo…though that could take all night, knowing the previous fights he had been through. Glancing down briefly, Danny frowned. They were drawing a crowd, as usual. Why couldn't people realize that being directly below an aerial battle was _not _the best idea. He could pick out his friend's faces among the others, managing to look scared to fit in with the rest. As he met Tucker's eyes, however, the boy gave him a brief thumbs-up.

_This is Home  
Now I'm finally where I belong  
Where I belong  
Yeah, this is home  
I've been searching for a place of my own  
Now I've found it,  
Maybe this is home  
Yeah, this is home_

The whining of a charged gun brought Danny's mind back to the fight at hand, and he managed to go intangible just as a blast scorched the air. Stretching his arm out quickly, the hybrid took advantage of the recharging lapse, once again speeding toward the hunter. The green balls of energy growing, he began firing them rather haphazardly, carefully watching Skulker's face. Though he dodged the blasts easily, it took a small amount of attention off of the assault and once again the armored ghost found himself being thrown as Danny plowed into his side. The weapon fell, and as his wrists were suddenly held in a surprisingly firm grip, Skulker reverted to brute force. Once again acting as if the air were solid ground, he braced himself, pushing his smaller foe toward the ground. Face contorted with the effort, Danny managed to push back, absently shaking the white hair from his eyes. He preferred the guns, really. Those he could dodge, but if it came down to strength, he still had a ways to go to beat this one. A sudden shout from the crowd below drew both of the ghost's attention for a moment and two pairs of green eyes widened to see one young boy wiggle out of his mother's grasp and stare up at the fight, apparently awestruck.

"C'mon, Phantom!" The voice drifted up through the relative silence and Danny almost laughed to hear his alias actually known. "Hit 'im in the face!" He was cut off, protesting as his mother pulled him back with wide eyes. Turning back to his opponent with a confident grin, the halfa suddenly twisted, managing to toss the hunter a good few feet and rising again to face him.

"Maybe if you were bigger than a hamster in that suit, it would be harder to do that," he taunted, now panting lightly. Skulker's eyes narrowed, all attempts at nonchalance gone, and a blade emerged from one panel on his arm.

"You won't be much bigger once I'm through with you," he snarled, suddenly advancing with the blue scythe-like knife flashing. "The humans may support you, but it's hard to cheer for someone who's in pieces." As the blade swiped at his throat, Danny simply crossed his arms with a roll of his eyes, briefly going intangible and letting it pass through him.

"Come on, a real challenge would be wonderful sometimes. I don't know why you all insist on using the same techniques that obviously don't work too well." He suppressed a wince as another gun was drawn, though his main concentration was on the blade. Skulker apparently had run dry of witty retorts and simply snarled, swinging the weapon quickly. Danny ducked sideways, now laughing. "Seriously, is that all you can -" A sudden bright green suddenly filled his range of vision, and the words were cut off with a cry as the blast from the slightly smoking gun hit him square in the chest. 

_Belief over misery  
I've seen the enemy  
And I won't go back  
Back to how it was_

"A challenge, you want, eh ?" Skulker spat, stuffing the gun back into his belt. Danny blinked hastily, holding his chest as he tried to clear his eyes of the light. It was too similar to the accident for his liking; the blinding flash and the pain now flooding his body, driving him to his knees…It faded faster, however, and he managed to raise his head to see the hunter towering over him, blade held high. "I hope you enjoy the taste of defeat, Phantom, it's the last you'll get." Why did he insist on talking so much? One hand still clutching at his chest where normal people would feel a heartbeat, Danny managed a slight smirk.

"You remembered my name," he croaked, managing to push himself upright. "Maybe we're getting somewhere. I hate to cut this chat short, but I'd rather head home. Have a nice night, ya hear?" Lunging forward, he grabbed the blade by it's base and diverting the blow that had been aimed for his head. The momentum was greater than he anticipated, however, and Danny stifled a cry as he felt some bone snap in his wrist. Ignoring it for the moment, he kicked out at the hunter's chest, sending Skulker flying once again. As soon as he was out of ghost's range of sight, the hybrid vanished, now clutching his wrist. His opponent spun around as soon as he managed to stop, scanning the sky closely. With a snort, he rubbed one side where he had been hit, the blade retreating into its sheath again.

"Another time then, ghost boy," Skulker muttered before he too vanished, leaving the crowd below gawking at empty air.

_And I've got my heart set on what happens next  
I've got my eyes wide and it's not over yet  
We are miracles  
And we're not alone_

"What'd I miss, then?"

Sam and Tucker jumped with a rather startled yelp as their friend's voice sounded right behind them. The crowd was now dissipating with mutters, and soon the street looked nearly identical to what it had been like before the fight. For a moment, Sam looked ready to tackle the boy, but the sudden grimace that came over his face seemed to stop her.

"That was…that was weird, Danny," she muttered, glancing up at the sky again. "It was like neither of you were really trying that hard." He shrugged, then winced again, his hand going to clutch at his right arm.

"I guess he had an appointment," he said dryly, starting off down the street again. "I didn't want to go all out, not with the crowd…Things tend to get hit with Skulker, so I figured it would be easier to find him later when there _wasn't _a big group of possible targets. Tuck, can you grab my bag? My arm's a little…it's a bit sore now." His friend nodded, scooping up the abandoned backpack as they passed.

"I gotta say man, that was pretty cool," the techie told him, the usual post-fight grin on his face. "I didn't think you could hold him off like that when he's all about the brute force."

"Neither did I," Danny muttered, glancing between his friends briefly. He hardly listened a they continued the previous trek to Fenton Works; Tucker continued on his rant about the ghost's new weapons, random ideas about tactics and possible battle strategies. Exchanging a glance with Sam, the boy managed a slight grin. It was interesting how quickly things switched back to relative normality. He was always rather quiet after fights, something his friends had gotten accustomed to, though they assumed it was simply from fatigue. He had realized, however, that even after he went back to 'Fenton', there could be slight traces of Phantom left over. The ghost was persistent sometimes, and Danny had to push him back again. Because they were mostly on the ground during battles, Sam and Tucker had never really seen the full degree of change that Phantom brought. He planned on keeping it that way for now…

_This is Home  
Now I'm finally where I belong  
Where I belong  
Yeah, this is home  
I've been searching for a place of my own  
Now I've found it,  
Maybe this is home  
Yeah, this is home_

After slipping into his house without being attacked by some ghost-detector, Danny led his friends upstairs, careful keep his right hand from bumping anything. Honestly, the boy didn't know why he hadn't mentioned the break right after he landed…but the thought of his friend's looks of shock made him hold back. He got injured many a time in the abundant fights, but they had yet to really get use to the fact that his powers helped him heal much quicker than was normal. It didn't matter much, anyway. He was now accomplished with setting bones, and though he'd have to wear long sleeves to cover the wrapping for a few days, it wouldn't be anything horrible. The main issue was going to be trying to write…Danny supposed he could learn to be ambidextrous. It would help for the next time this hand was damaged, at least.

As they filed into his bedroom, Tucker threw both of the bags he carried unceremoniously onto the bed. Turning around quickly, he grinned at Danny who had settled himself into his desk chair.

"Right, well I'm going to see if you guys have any food. You want anything?" As his friend shook his head, Tucker rounded on Sam who had just sat on the edge of the bed. "What about you, want me to get you a burger or something?" The girl simply rolled her eyes, standing again with a sigh.

"Knowing you, you'll bring me a pig and tell me to eat it," she muttered. "C'mon, Tuck, I'll find something on my own." One hand closing on Tucker's wrist, she dragged him back out the door and downstairs. Danny blinked, grinning briefly at their sudden departure. They knew this house nearly as well as he did, and therefore knew which cupboards to avoid and where the mallets were kept. (They were often needed to beat away any of Jack's experiments) Luckily, it gave him enough time to take care of his wrist without them freaking out over something as minor as a break. Slipping off the chair, he crouched on the carpeted floor, his left hand reaching under the bed. It closed on a plastic box, shoving the container past multiple socks and various crumpled papers. Straightening, Danny flipped open the first aid kit, pulling out the general all-purpose wrapping. Getting it wrapped wasn't the hard part though…it was setting it correctly.

With a frown, the hybrid held his right arm at eye-level. The frown deepened as he turned the limb invisible, then let it fade partially back. It had taken a while for him to figure this particular trick out, but it helped a great deal; the skin was mostly transparent, while the bone stood out fairly plainly. Peering at the white mass, Danny winced slightly. It was still a rather creepy sight, and the fact that the bone was at an odd angle didn't help much. Unfortunately, due to the speed at which he healed, part of it had already begun attempts at regrowing - wrong, of course. Managing to hold back any noise, his throat clenching, he gripped his hand below the wrist, barely hesitating before snapping the offending bone back into place. Biting his lip to keep from crying out, the boy quickly grabbed the bandages, holding one end with his teeth as he wrapped the wrist tightly. It didn't take him nearly as long as it had the first time, but he didn't often work on his arm; it was more commonly an ankle, which was much easier when he had both hands at his disposal. It took somewhat longer than he had anticipated, apparently, because footsteps and Tucker's chattering alerted him to his friends' return. Sam entered first, pushing open the door with her shoulder as she carried three glasses in her hands.

"Do you realize your parents have practically nothing without meat in it?" she grumbled, holding the door as Tucker followed her laden with a rather impressive roast beef sandwich. "I mean really, I come over here enough, you'd think -" She cut off as she spotted Danny, still sitting next to his bed with one pin for the bandage in his hand. Violet eyes widened, but it was Tucker that spoke up first.

"Dude…what happened to you?"

_And now after all my searching  
After all my questions  
I'm gonna call it home_

Danny winced, closing his eyes for a moment to block out their expressions. He pinned the last strip into place firmly before standing, idly kicking the first aid kit back underneath the bed.

"It's…really not that bad, guys," he muttered, his good hand rubbing the back of his neck. "I just…I twisted it in the fight, thought it would be better to wrap it up." Sam raised one eyebrow skeptically, setting the glasses down on a free spot of the dresser.

"Twisted it, huh?" the girl muttered. Crossing the room quickly to stand in front of her friend, she suddenly grabbed the wrapped wrist, holding it up to examine. The movement was so unexpected, Danny didn't manage to hold back a sharp cry, jerking his arm away as a fresh stab of pain shot up it. Tucker shook his head, frowning as he stepped up beside them.

"Either that's a really severe 'twisting', or you're totally lying here, Danny," the boy told him bluntly. "We're not that stupid, you know. Now what happened to you?" His friend bit his lip, still clutching at his arm and willing it to stop throbbing. With a resigned sigh, he fell onto the bed letting his head rest on his left hand.

"It _was _during the fight," he explained, avoiding their eyes as best he could. "When I grabbed Skulker's blade, something pulled the wrong way…It could have been worse, though. At least the bone didn't completely snap, that usually takes two weeks to heal fully…" He trailed off, glancing up at the oppressive silence. "What?"

"You said _usually_," Tucker pointed out, his sandwich now lying forgotten on the desk. "Dude, I've never seen you break anything before. It's always just…a few cuts, maybe a cracked rib at the most. Never anything that serious."

"Good, then I've been doing it right," Danny muttered, looking down once more. "It's not like I'm going to go for an all-out cast or anything. If my parents find out, I'd get dragged to the hospital, and we all know where that would lead." There was a short silence as the other two considered this. None of them knew exactly what happened physically to give Danny the powers, and they didn't know if it were something that could be spotted with normal tests…but no one really wanted to risk it. His temperature would raise enough questions, as it hadn't risen above 93 since the accident. "Look, guys, I'm fine. This stuff…it isn't a big deal anymore. Comes with the job, ya know?" As he made to stand again, Sam put out one hand to block him, violet eyes still troubled.

"Wait a minute…if you're not actually getting medical attention on those, how on earth are you still in one piece? I mean, they would heal strange if you just wrap them, right?" There was another pause before the boy sighed, looking up to meet her eyes.

"Well, yeah…I've been setting them myself."

_I've got a brand new mindset  
I can finally see the sunset  
I'm gonna call it home_

The silence that met this statement was thick, and Danny looked away again as his friends stared at him. Once again, it was Tucker that spoke first, and Sam quickly joined in his sudden babbling.

"You've been setting them _yourself…?"_

"Fenton, you idiot, you could make it worse…"

"How would we explain to your parents if your arm starts growing at a ninety degree angle?"

"Maybe you should start using guns, it would prevent stuff like this…"

The halfa's eyes narrowed, his good hand clutching at the bedspread as he pointedly fixed his gaze anywhere but on the others. Rather than dying out, they seemed to be building steam, and he suddenly straightened, looking between them as he spoke."Enough."

Funny that one word could stop a whole barrage of scolding. The two suddenly broke off in mid-sentence, staring at him in shock. A small part of the boy knew that he was losing his grip on the ghost, but the rest of him didn't care at the moment. It was Phantom they seemed to have the problem with, so they may as well hear from him.

"You two really don't understand this, do you?" he asked quietly. As he looked at Tucker, Danny could see some of his reflection in the other boy's glasses. His eyes, rather than their normal blue, were now glowing green. It had been a while since he had lost control of it like this…but it didn't matter a whole lot. If it kept them quiet, so be it. "I don't know if you've quite realized this yet, but it's not a stroll in the park out there. The ghosts come, and ninety nine percent of the time, they're not looking for a picnic. They won't just go away if you ask nicely." He stood suddenly, beginning to pace the length of the bedroom. "Every time I face one of them, it's a _fight_. That might mean something different for humans, but for me, someone's going to get hurt. It's either me or them, and personally, I'd rather it be them. It doesn't work like that all the time though." Turning suddenly to face his friends, Danny pointed at his wrist. "Things like this happen. It's not all fun and games, I am _going _to get hurt. It's not like I can just drop everything after one little broken bone and let the ghosts have their way. I have to keep going, which means I can't let anything get in the way of that. If that means having to hide it, fine. I've gotten fairly good at keeping myself a secret."

Sam and Tucker blinked a few times, apparently rendered speechless by their friend's sudden shift in attitude. He seemed to have gotten the point across, however, because neither brought forward any protests. Sam simply swallowed once, then looked up with something resembling sympathy in her face.

"You…you said 'humans'…as if you weren't one," she said quietly, allowing herself to relax slightly as the green eyes suddenly shifted back to blue. The hybrid crossed his arms carefully, turning to look out the window.

"Yeah, well…who's to say I am?"

_This is Home  
Now I'm finally where I belong  
Where I belong  
Yeah, this is home  
I've been searching for a place of my own  
Now I've found it,  
Maybe this is home  
Yeah, this is home_

Sam and Tucker had gone home about half an hour later, after a few futile attempts to work on homework. They both seemed wary, though Danny told himself that it was for their own good. They had seen Phantom come through for a moment, and it was something the two weren't bound to forget in a hurry. As he lay on the bed, right hand carefully elevated, the boy stared up at his ceiling. His mind was whirling, and though he was speaking silently to himself, he could distinguish Phantom's words from the rest of the random thoughts.

_They're going to be afraid of you now, just watch…more so than before._

_They need to stop worrying, Fenton, and you know it. It's not like you're going to get killed out there._

_And how do you know that? Skulker nearly beat me today, and he's usually one of the easier ones._

_Ah, but he _nearly _beat me…That idiot couldn't put a scratch on me, it wasn't even him that broke my wrist._

_You shouldn't have come through, Phantom, they think I'm crazy enough already. They know that wasn't me speaking back there, and they're going to get worried._

_Like I said, those two worry too much. I know what I'm doing, and it's what I'm _supposed _to be doing. We both know that. Injuries are part of the job, that can't be prevented. This is where I belong; it's for the greater good, protecting everyone, isn't it? If that includes a price, so be it._

Danny groaned, one hand going to his head as it throbbed. He sat up very suddenly, instinctively using his arms to prop himself upright. The wrapped wrist protested very suddenly, and the boy clutched at it, barely stifling a cry of pain. Even after three years of this, the boy wasn't accustomed to pain. He supposed it was impossible to ignore it completely. Phantom had a higher tolerance, it seemed. Maybe because he knew why it was there and what good came of it. Almost like hiding under a blanket, Danny pulled into the back of his own mind as the stabbing pains ran up his arm. Let Phantom deal with it, then…he was the one who got the break in the first place. Breathing deeply, he managed to open his eyes again, leaning against the bedpost. A very small grin appeared on his face to replace the grimace, and the halfa forced his body to relax slightly.

"You are such a complainer sometimes…This is nothing compared to that broken knee."

Fenton was Phantom…and Phantom was Fenton. Sometimes, however, they were a bit more distinctive than people realized.

_Now I know,  
Yeah this is home_

_I've come too far  
No, I won't go back  
This is home

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_

**Okay, so yeah, it probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Honestly, this was one of those 'write it and get it out of my head' type of stories. I just thought it was an interesting concept. =3**

**Sorry it's so long…chapters would be hard, and I'm lazy. Soo…reviews would be loved. ^^ I'm going to go work on my other story, now that this is out of my head!**

**~Waggy**


End file.
